Congress’s criticism of GDP figures is a ‘dimagi Naxal’ mindset: BJP
The BJP has criticized the Congress party for questioning India's recent 7.8% GDP growth figures, labeling the opposition's skepticism as a 'dimagi Naxal' (intellectual Naxal) mindset. The BJP argues that the Congress is using flawed methodology to discredit positive economic data.
Why it matters
This exchange highlights the deepening political polarization over economic performance metrics and the credibility of government data in India.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday (September 3, 2026) accused the Congress of using faulty calculations to convert India’s 7.8% real GDP growth into an “imaginary” 2.6%, terming it a “dimagi Naxal” mindset.
The rebuttal came after Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh asked why GDP estimates for all four years since 2022-23 had been revised substantially downwards, what components of the new methodology had driven the changes, who had been consulted in framing it, and why the deflator used for calculating real GDP appeared to understate the impact of inflation.
The questions were raised days after the government highlighted 7.8% real GDP growth in the April-June 2026 quarter.
In response, BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni told PTI , “Jairam Ramesh’s entire three-page statement rests on comparing two numbers that cannot be compared. Everything built upon that error collapses with it.”
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